OUTBREAK!

H5N2 bird-flu areas sealed off in N. China

Total of 125,700 chickens already culled

Published: 12/22/2013 at 12:29 PM

(XINHUANET) — SHIJIAZHUANG, Dec. 22 — Areas within 3 km of a farm in north China’s Hebei Province, the site of an H5N2 bird flu outbreak in poultry, were confirmed to have been sealed off, according to local government.

The disease killed 4,000 chickens raised at the farm in Baoding City after they showed symptoms of suspected avian flu on Dec. 17, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory on Saturday confirmed the epidemic was caused by the H5N2 avian influenza virus after testing samples collected at the farm.